We found an article with the title above in the Illustration, from
1853, preceded by the indispensable jokes that we offer to our
readers.

“It is about the turning tables! There you have the flying tables! And
the phenomenon is not new. It exists since long ago. Where, you ask?
Give my word that it is a bit far away, in Siberia. A Russian newspaper
Sjevernava Plschela, which means The Northern Bee, in its last April 27th
number, containing an article by Mr. Tscherepanoff about the subject,
who has traveled around the regions of the Kalmuks. Here is a passage:”

“It is well-known that the Lamas, Buddhist priests, a religion which
counts on the adherence of all Mongolians and Russian Kalmuks25, similarly
to the Egyptian priests, do not reveal the discovered secrets, using
them however to increase the influence that they exert upon the naturally
superstitious people. That is how they pretend to have the power of finding
stolen objects, utilizing the flying tables. Those things happen in the
following way:

“The victim of theft addresses the Lama, asking him to reveal the
place where the objects are hidden. The Buddhist priest requests two or
three days to get ready for that grave ceremony. When the time comes, he
seats on the floor having a small squared table in front of him, rests his
hand on the table and reads something obscure. It lasts about half an hour.

After mumbling the initial prayers he stands up, keeping the hands in the
original position, and the table moves up in the air. The Lama straightens
up and raises his hands above the head. The table moves up to the height
of his hands. The Lama moves one step forward and the table follows the
example. The Lama steps back and the table does the same. Finally, the
table moves to several places before falling back on the floor. The searched
object is in the main direction taken by the table. If we believe in what the
inhabitants of the region say, there have been cases in which the table fell
exactly on the place where the stolen object was hidden.”

“In the experience witnessed by Mr. Tscherepanoff the table flew over
a distance of 15 fathoms. The stolen object was not immediately found
but in the direction indicated by the object resided a Russian peasant who
noticed the signal. He committed suicide on that very day. His sudden
death raised suspicions. His home was searched and the stolen object was
found.”

“The traveler saw three other unsuccessful experiences. The table did
not want to move. As a matter of fact the Lamas had no difficulty in explaining
such immobility. If the furniture did not move it meant that the
objects could not be found.”

“Mr. Tscherepanoff witnessed that phenomenon in 1831 in the village
of Jelany – I did not believe it with my own eyes, he says, but I was
persuaded that there was some sort of fraud there and that my Lama was
using a string, skillfully dissimulated or a wire to raise the table in the air.
Looking closely, however, I was unable to detect any cord or wire. The
table was a thin board of pine, not weighing more than a pound and a
half. Today I am convinced that the phenomenon is produced by the same
cause which produces the dancing tables.”

“Thus, the bosses of the sect of the Spiritist, who believed to have
invented the turning tables, did nothing else but to spread the news of
an invention known long ago by other peoples. Nihil sub sole novi, said
Salomon. Who knows over the time of Salomon himself the way of making
the tables turn wasn’t already known! What do I say? This was known well before the rightful son of David. Read the North China Herald,
cited by the Gazette d’Ausbourg, from May 11th, and you will see that the
inhabitants of the Celestial Empire have been having fun with this game
since immemorial times.”

We have already said, hundreds of times, that Spiritism, belonging to nature,
is one of its powers. The phenomena resulting from that must have
happened at all times and among all peoples, interpreted, commented,
and dressed according to the corresponding traditions and degrees of instruction.
We have never intended that it is a modern invention. The more
we advance the more we discover the traces it has been left everywhere
and at all times. The contemporaries have no other merit but to have
undressed it from mysticism, exaggeration and superstitious ideas from
the time of ignorance. It is impressive that the majority of people that so
frivolously speak about it have not taken the time to study it. Judge it from
the first impression, most of the time by having heard, without knowledge
of cause, and become surprised when on the bottom of all that we show
them one of the principles related to the gravest interest of humanity. One
should not think that we are talking about the interest regarding things
of the other world only. Those who do not stop at the surface easily see
that it is related to all vital questions of the present world. Who could have
guessed that from a frog dancing on a plate, in contact with a silver spoon,
would have born a means of communication from one extreme to the
other of globe in a few seconds; of guiding the lightning; of producing a
light similar to the Sun? Patience Mr. Mocker! From a turning table it can
well derive a giant to put aside the scorners. Considering the way things
are, this will not be long.